Just prior to Thanksgiving, the Disco Biscuits wrapped up their final tour of 2024, with shows in Rome and Buffalo. Over the next few weeks, the band enters the studio and have four final shows to close 2024 out.
Held at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, situated just west of Utica, the venue has been open since 1928, originally part of a chain of movie houses and screening films through 1974. The venue reopened in 1985 as the Capitol Civic Center, when live music and theatrical performances were offered in addition to classic films.
The show in Rome – a first for the band, and at the ‘other’ Capitol Theatre – was a high point from the start, with a 27-minute “Magellan” opening the show. Feeling rarer these days, “Magellan” hit home with the veteran fans in the audience, many of whom made the Upstate trio of shows a weekend adventure.
With the energy shifting out of “Cyclone,” a peak jam of the first set arose in “Times Square,” before passing the torch to “Bombs,” a once-shelved fan favorite that was brought back in May 2021 thanks to a fan request. “Shelby Rose” rounded out the first frame of music, which was full of songs for the older heads in attendance this evening.
Set 2 opened with the slow burn of “Fire Will Exchange,” setting forth a 95-minute torrent of music. This opening 25-minute version was patient as it built and ended up giving way to a full version of “Shem-Rah Boo” that clocked in at over a half-hour, “No Rain” tease and all.
Less than a month old, the Disco Biscuits version of Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathrusta” is a hybrid of “Orch Theme” and Phish’s own version, “2001,” but this industrial version of “Also Sprach Zarathrusta” is nothing like what Strauss or your average Phish fan would expect. Darker, heavier and exploring the darkness between ascendent peaks, this “ASZ” in the industrial/classical crossover we didn’t know we needed.
Sandwiched in between “ASZ” were “No Recollection” and “Catalyst,” each keeping the fire burning in the set, and bringing it to an exultant finish. And with under 10 minutes left to wrap the show up, the band opted to stay old school with “Rock Candy” in the encore slot, and the show ended promptly before 11pm.
Setlists via Biscuits Internet Project
Disco Biscuits – Rome Capitol Theatre – Rome, NY – Friday, November 22, 2024
Soundcheck: The Very Moon -> Sirens Sing
Set 1: Magellan > Cyclone > Times Square > Bombs > Shelby Rose
Set 2: Fire Will Exchange > Shem-Rah Boo1 > Also Sprach Zarathustra > No Recollection> Catalyst > Also Sprach Zarathustra
Encore: Rock Candy
1 with ‘No Rain’ (Blind Melon) teases
While NYS Music was not on hand for the Buffalo shows the next two nights, the two shows are each an adventure in their own right. Saturday night’s show features a reworked “Sirens Sing” (formerly, “The Champions”) with an inverted “Munchkin Invasion” in the second set.
Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY – Saturday, November 23, 2024
Soundcheck: Little Lai, Rainbow Song, Frog Legs
Set 1: House Dog Party Favor > Grass Is Green 1 > Sirens Sing 2 > Falling 3 > House Dog Party Favor
Set 2: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. 4 > Trap Door 5 > Pimp Blue Rikki > Munchkin Invasion 1 > Floes
Encore: Morph Dusseldorf > Feeling Twisted > Morph Dusseldorf
1 inverted
2 Reworking/renaming of ‘The Champions’
3 Tractorbeam Remix (Falling 303)
4 with ‘Piano Concerto #21 Andante’ (Mozart) teases
5 1st time inverted
Sunday’s show was comprised of songs written by Joey Friedman over the last two years, in honor of his 500th show. The full show gives a faint picture of what to expect from the Biscuits time in the studio this month – get a full breakdown here via Relix.
2024 is nearly in the books and the Disco Biscuits barnburner of a tour is for now, to be continued.
Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY – Sunday, November 24, 2024
Soundcheck: Park Ave -> Running, Confrontation
Set 1: To Be Continued > Ring the Doorbell Twice > Country Royale 1 > One Chance To Save The World > Risky Business 1 > Another Plan of Attack 2
Set 2: The Wormhole > Twisted in the Road 3 > Dino Baby > Another Plan of Attack 2 > One Chance To Save The World > Photograph > To Be Continued
Encore: Buy The Time > Ring the Doorbell Twice
1 1st time inverted
2 dyslexic (ending first, then beginning)
3 inverted
Rome Capitol Theatre photos by Dan Bocchino
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